Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310
93 Imaging
31 Features
11 Overall
23


94 Imaging
37 Features
33 Overall
35
Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Key Specs
(Full Review)
- 8MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.5" Fixed Screen
- ISO 64 - 1600
- 640 x 480 video
- 38-136mm (F3.1-6.7) lens
- 169g - 92 x 67 x 28mm
- Revealed February 2010
(Full Review)
- 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
- 2.7" Fixed Screen
- ISO 80 - 1600
- Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
- 1280 x 720 video
- 28-102mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
- 155g - 96 x 63 x 23mm
- Announced January 2011

Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Overview
The following is a comprehensive overview of the Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310, former is a Small Sensor Compact while the latter is a Waterproof by brands Nikon and Olympus. There exists a large gap between the image resolutions of the L21 (8MP) and TG-310 (14MP) but they possess the same exact sensor dimensions (1/2.3").

The L21 was launched 11 months prior to the TG-310 which means that they are of a similar age. Both of the cameras offer the identical body type (Compact).
Before diving in to a more detailed comparison, below is a concise overview of how the L21 scores versus the TG-310 in relation to portability, imaging, features and an overall mark.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Gallery
Below is a preview of the gallery photos for Nikon Coolpix L21 & Olympus TG-310. The complete galleries are available at Nikon L21 Gallery & Olympus TG-310 Gallery.
Reasons to pick Nikon L21 over the Olympus TG-310
L21 | TG-310 |
---|
Reasons to pick Olympus TG-310 over the Nikon L21
TG-310 | L21 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Announced | January 2011 | ![]() | February 2010 | Newer by 11 months |
Screen sizing | 2.7" | ![]() | 2.5" | Bigger screen (+0.2") |
Common features in the Nikon L21 and Olympus TG-310
L21 | TG-310 | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Focus manually | ![]() | Lack of manual focus | ||
Screen type | Fixed | ![]() | Fixed | Fixed screen |
Screen resolution | 230k | ![]() | 230k | Exact same screen resolution |
Selfie screen | ![]() | Neither contains selfie screen | ||
Touch screen | ![]() | Absent Touch screen |
Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Physical Comparison
When you are looking to travel with your camera regularly, you will want to consider its weight and dimensions. The Nikon L21 has got exterior dimensions of 92mm x 67mm x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") with a weight of 169 grams (0.37 lbs) while the Olympus TG-310 has dimensions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).
Look at the Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 in our completely new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool.
Remember, the weight of an ILC will differ depending on the lens you are employing during that time. Underneath is the front view scale comparison of the L21 against the TG-310.

Factoring in dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the L21 and TG-310 is 93 and 94 respectively.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Sensor Comparison
More often than not, it is very hard to picture the gap between sensor dimensions simply by going over technical specs. The picture underneath might give you a much better sense of the sensor dimensions in the L21 and TG-310.
As you can tell, the two cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing albeit different MP. You can count on the Olympus TG-310 to offer you more detail utilizing its extra 6 Megapixels. Higher resolution will also allow you to crop pictures far more aggressively. The more aged L21 is going to be behind when it comes to sensor innovation.

Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Screen and ViewFinder


Photography Type Scores
Portrait Comparison

Street Comparison

Sports Comparison

Travel Comparison

Landscape Comparison

Vlogging Comparison

Nikon L21 vs Olympus TG-310 Specifications
Nikon Coolpix L21 | Olympus TG-310 | |
---|---|---|
General Information | ||
Make | Nikon | Olympus |
Model type | Nikon Coolpix L21 | Olympus TG-310 |
Class | Small Sensor Compact | Waterproof |
Revealed | 2010-02-03 | 2011-01-06 |
Physical type | Compact | Compact |
Sensor Information | ||
Processor | Expeed C2 | TruePic III+ |
Sensor type | CCD | CCD |
Sensor size | 1/2.3" | 1/2.3" |
Sensor measurements | 6.08 x 4.56mm | 6.17 x 4.55mm |
Sensor surface area | 27.7mm² | 28.1mm² |
Sensor resolution | 8MP | 14MP |
Anti alias filter | ||
Aspect ratio | 4:3 and 16:9 | - |
Full resolution | 3648 x 2736 | 4288 x 3216 |
Max native ISO | 1600 | 1600 |
Lowest native ISO | 64 | 80 |
RAW pictures | ||
Autofocusing | ||
Focus manually | ||
Touch focus | ||
AF continuous | ||
Single AF | ||
Tracking AF | ||
AF selectice | ||
AF center weighted | ||
Multi area AF | ||
Live view AF | ||
Face detection AF | ||
Contract detection AF | ||
Phase detection AF | ||
Cross type focus points | - | - |
Lens | ||
Lens mount type | fixed lens | fixed lens |
Lens zoom range | 38-136mm (3.6x) | 28-102mm (3.6x) |
Highest aperture | f/3.1-6.7 | f/3.9-5.9 |
Macro focusing distance | 5cm | 3cm |
Crop factor | 5.9 | 5.8 |
Screen | ||
Type of screen | Fixed Type | Fixed Type |
Screen size | 2.5" | 2.7" |
Resolution of screen | 230 thousand dots | 230 thousand dots |
Selfie friendly | ||
Liveview | ||
Touch screen | ||
Screen tech | - | TFT Color LCD |
Viewfinder Information | ||
Viewfinder | None | None |
Features | ||
Slowest shutter speed | 8s | 4s |
Maximum shutter speed | 1/2000s | 1/2000s |
Continuous shooting rate | - | 1.0 frames/s |
Shutter priority | ||
Aperture priority | ||
Manually set exposure | ||
Set WB | ||
Image stabilization | ||
Integrated flash | ||
Flash distance | - | 4.20 m |
Flash modes | Auto, On, Off, Red-eye, Fill-in, Slow Syncro | Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in |
Hot shoe | ||
AE bracketing | ||
WB bracketing | ||
Exposure | ||
Multisegment exposure | ||
Average exposure | ||
Spot exposure | ||
Partial exposure | ||
AF area exposure | ||
Center weighted exposure | ||
Video features | ||
Video resolutions | 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps) | 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps) |
Max video resolution | 640x480 | 1280x720 |
Video data format | Motion JPEG | Motion JPEG |
Microphone port | ||
Headphone port | ||
Connectivity | ||
Wireless | None | Eye-Fi Connected |
Bluetooth | ||
NFC | ||
HDMI | ||
USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
GPS | None | None |
Physical | ||
Environment sealing | ||
Water proofing | ||
Dust proofing | ||
Shock proofing | ||
Crush proofing | ||
Freeze proofing | ||
Weight | 169 gr (0.37 lb) | 155 gr (0.34 lb) |
Dimensions | 92 x 67 x 28mm (3.6" x 2.6" x 1.1") | 96 x 63 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") |
DXO scores | ||
DXO All around rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Color Depth rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Dynamic range rating | not tested | not tested |
DXO Low light rating | not tested | not tested |
Other | ||
Battery life | - | 150 photos |
Style of battery | - | Battery Pack |
Battery ID | 2 x AA | LI-42B |
Self timer | Yes | Yes (2 or 12 sec) |
Time lapse recording | ||
Type of storage | SD/SDHC, Internal | SD/SDHC/SDXC |
Card slots | 1 | 1 |
Price at launch | $180 | $0 |